gc.shadowslinger-第7部分

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r　land　where　none　of　the　normal　rules　apply。　Rocks　speak　and　whales　fly。　Coral　grows　in　the　desert。　Trees　walk。　And　the　inhabitants　are　the　strangest　of　all。　。　。　。　But　that　is　neither　here　nor　there。　Just　a　nightmare　from　the　past。　A　nightmare　that　haunts　me　still；　when　the　screams　of　Cougar　and　Fleet　e　echoing　down　the　corridors　of　time；　and　once　again　I　can　do　nothing　to　save　them。
　　〃What's　the　trouble？〃　Elmo　asked；　slipping　the　map　from　beneath　my　fingers；　cocking　his　head　sideways。　〃Look　like　you　saw　a　ghost。〃
　　〃Just　remembering　the　Plain　of　Fear。〃
　　〃Oh。　Yeah。　Well；　buck　up。　Have　a　beer。〃　He　slapped　my　back。　〃Hey！　Kingpin！　Where　the　hell　you　been？〃　He　charged　away；　　in　pursuit　of　the　pany's　leading　malingerer。
　　One…Eye　arrived　a　moment　later；　startling　me。　〃How's　Goblin？〃　he　asked　softly。　There　had　been　no　intercourse　between　them　since　Madle's。　He　eyed　the　map。　〃The　Empty　Hills？　Interesting　name。〃
　　〃Also　called　the　Hollow　Hills。　He's　all　right。　Why　don't　you　check　him　out？〃
　　〃What　the　hell　for？　He　was　the　one　who　acted　the　ass。　Can't　take　a　little　joke。　。。。〃
　　〃Your　jokes　get　a　bit　rough；　One…Eye。〃
　　〃Yeah。　Maybe。　Tell　you　what。　You　e　with　me。〃
　　〃Got　to　prepare　my　reading。〃　One　night　a　month　the　Captain　expects　me　to　exhort　the　troops　with　a　reading　from　the　Annals。　So　we'll　know　where　we　came　from；　so　we'll　recall　our　ancestors　in　the　outfit。　Once　that　meant　a　lot。　The　Black　pany。　Last　of　the　Free　panies　of　Khatovar。　All　brethren。　Tight。　Great　esprit。　Us　against　the　world；　and　let　the　world　watch　out。　But　the　something　that　had　manifested　itself　in　Goblin's　behavior；　in　the　low…grade　depression　of　Elmo　and　others；　was　affecting　everybody。　The　pieces　were　ing　unglued。
　　I　had　to　pick　a　good　reading。　From　a　time　when　the　pany　had　its　back　against　the　wall　and　survived　only　by　clinging　to　its　traditional　virtues。　There　have　been　many　such　moments　in　four　hundred　years。　I　wanted　one　recorded　by　one　of　the　more　inspired　Annalists；　one　with　the　fire　of　a　White　Rose　revivalist　speaking　to　potential　recruits。　Maybe　I　needed　a　series；　one　that　I　could　read　several　nights　running。
　　〃Crap；〃　One…Eye　said。　〃You　know　those　books　by　heart。　Always　got　your　nose　in　them。　Anyway；　you　could　fake　the　whole　thing　and　nobody　would　know　the　difference。〃
　　〃Probably。　And　nobody　would　care　if　I　did。　It's　going　sour；　old…timer。　Right。　Let's　go　see　Goblin。〃
　　Maybe　the　Annals　needed　a　rereading　on　a　different　level。　Maybe　I　was　treating　symptoms。　The　Annals　have　a　certain　mystic　quality；　for　me。　Maybe　I　could　identify　the　disease　by　immersing　myself；　hunting　something　between　the　lines。
　　Goblin　and　Silent　were　playing　no…hands　mumbletypeg。　I'll　say　this　for　our　three　spook…pushers：　They　aren't　great；　but　they　keep　their　talents　polished。　Goblin　was　ahead　on　points。　He　was　in　a　good　mood。　He　even　nodded　to　One…Eye。
　　So。　It　was　over。　The　stopper　could　be　put　into　the　bottle。　One…Eye　just　had　to　say　the　right　thing。
　　To　my　amazement；　he　even　apologized。　By　sign；　Silent　suggested　we　get　out　and　let　them　conclude　their　peace　in　private。　Each　had　an　overabundance　of　pride。
　　We　stepped　outside。　As　we　often　did　when　no　one　could　intercept　our　signs；　we　discussed　old　times。　He；　too；　was　privy　to　the　secret　for　which　the　Lady　would　obliterate　nations。
　　Half　a　dozen　others　suspected　once；　and　had　forgotten。　We　knew；　and　would　never　forget。　Those　others；　if　put　to　the　question；　would　leave　the　Lady　with　serious　doubts。
　　We　two；　never。　We　knew　the　identity　of　the　Lady's　most　potent　enemy　…　and　for　six　years　we　had　done　nothing　to　apprise　her　of　the　fact　that　that　enemy　even　existed　as　more　than　a　Rebel　fantasy。
　　The　Rebel　tends　to　a　streak　of　superstition。　He　loves　prophets　and　prophecies　and　grand；　dramatic　foretellings　of　victories　to　e。　It　was　pursuit　of　a　prophecy　which　led　him　into　the　trap　at　Charm；　nearly　causing　his　extinction。　He　regained　his　balance　afterward　by　convincing　himself　that　he　was　the　victim　of　false　prophets　and　prophecies；　laid　upon　him　by　villains　trickier　than　he。　In　that　conviction　he　could　go　on；　and　believe　more　impossible　things。
　　The　funny　thing　was；　he　lied　to　himself　with　the　truth。　I　was；　perhaps；　the　only　person　outside　the　Lady's　inner　circle　who　knew　he　had　been　guided　into　the　jaws　of　death。　Only；　the　enemy　who　had　done　the　guiding　was　not　the　Lady；　as　he　believed。　
　　That　enemy　was　an　evil　greater　still；　the　Dominator；　the　Lady's　one…time　spouse；　whom　she　had　betrayed　and　left　buried　but　alive　in　a　grave　in　the　Great　Forest　north　of　a　far　city　called　Oar。　From　that　grave　he　had　reached　out；　subtly；　and　twisted　the　minds　of　men　high　in　Rebel　circles；　bending　them　to　his　will；　hoping　to　use　them　to　drag　the　Lady　down　and　bring　about　his　own　resurrection。　He　failed；　though　he　had　help　from　several　of　the　original　Taken　in　his　scheme。
　　If　he　knew　of　my　existence；　I　must　be　high　on　his　list。　He　lay　up　there　still；　scheming；　maybe　hating　me；　for　I　helped　betray　the　Taken　helping　him。　。　。　。　Scary；　that。　The　Lady　was　medicine　bad　enough。　The　Dominator；　though；　was　the　body　of　which　her　evil　was　but　a　shadow。　Or　so　the　legend　goes。　I　sometimes　wonder　why；　if　that　is　true；　she　walks　the　earth　and　he　lies　restless　in　the　grave。
　　I　have　done　a　good　deal　of　research　since　discovering　the　power　of　the　thing　in　the　north；　probing　little…known　histories。　Scaring　myself　each　time。　The　Domination；　an　era　when　the　Dominator　actually　ruled；　smelled　like　an　era　of　hell　on　earth。　It　seemed　a　miracle　that　the　White　Rose　had　put　him　down。　A　pity　she　could　not　have　destroyed　him。　And　all　his　minions；　including　the　Lady。　The　world　would　not　be　in　the　straits　it　is　today。　I　wonder　when　the　honeymoon　will　end。　The　Lady　hasn't　been　that　terrible。　When　will　she　relax；　and　give　the　darkness　within　her　free　rein；　reviving　the　terror　of　the　past？
　　I　also　wonder　about　the　villainies　attributed　to　the　Domination。　History；　inevitably；　is　recorded　by　self…serving　victors。
　　A　scream　came　from　Goblin's　quarters。　Silent　and　I　stared　at　one　another　a　moment；　then　rushed　inside。
　　I　honestly　expected　one　of　them　to　be　bleeding　his　life　out　on　the　floor。　I　did　not　expect　to　find　Goblin　having　a　fit　while　One…Eye　desperately　strove　to　keep　him　from　hurting　himself。　〃Somebody　made　contact；〃　One…Eye　gasped。　〃Help　me。　It's　strong。〃
　　I　gaped。　Contact。　We　hadn't　had　a　direct　munication　since　the　desperately　swift　campaigns　when　the　Rebel　was　closing　in　on　Charm；　years　ago。　Since　then；　the　Lady　and　Taken　have　been　content　to　municate　through　messengers。
　　The　fit　lasted　only　seconds。　That　was　customary。　Then　Goblin　relaxed；　whimpering。　It　would　be　several　minutes　before　he　recovered　enough　to　relay　the　message。　We　three　looked　at　one　another　with　card…playing　faces；　frightened　inside。　I　said；　
　　〃Somebody　ought　to　tell　the　Captain。〃
　　〃Yeah；〃　One…Eye　said。　He　made　no　move　to　go。　Neither　did　Silent。
　　〃All　right。　I'm　elected。〃　I　went。　I　found　the　Captain　doing　what　he　does　best。　He　had　his　feet　up　on　his　worktable；　was　snoring。　I　wakened　him；　told　him。
　　He　sighed。　〃Find　the　Lieutenant。〃　He　went　to　his　map　cases。　I　asked　a　couple　questions　he　ignored；　took　the　hint　and　got　out。
　　He　had　expected　something　like　this？　There　was　a　crisis　in　the　area？　How　could　Charm　have　heard　first？
Silly；　worrying　before　I　heard　what　Goblin　had　to　say。
　　The　Lieutenant　seemed　no　more　surprised　than　the　Captain。　〃Something　up？〃　I　asked。
　　〃Maybe。　A　courier　letter　came　after　you　and　Candy　left　for　Tally。　Said　we　might　be　called　west。　This　could　be　it。〃
　　〃West？　Really？〃
　　〃Yeah。〃　Such　dense　sarcasm　he　put　into　the　word！
　　Stupid。　If　we　chose　Charm　as　the　customary　demarcation　point　between　east　and　west；　Tally　lay　two　thousand　plus　miles　away。　Three　months'　travel　under　perfect　conditions。　The　country　between　was　anything　but　perfect。　In　places　roads　just　didn't　exist。　I　thought　six　months　sounded　too　optimistic。　　But　I　was　worrying　before　the　fact　again。　I　had　to　wait　and　see。
　　It　turned　out　to　be　something　even　the　Captain　and　Lieutenant　hadn't　anticipated。　　We　waited　in　trepidation　while　Goblin　pulled　himself　together。　The　Captain　had　his　map　case　open；　sketching　a　tentative　route　to　Frost。　He　grumbled　because　all　westbound　traffic　had　to　cross　the　Plain　of　Fear。　Goblin　cleared　his　throat。
　　Tension　mounted。　He　did　not　lift　his　eyes。　The　news　had　to　be　unpleasant。　He　squeaked；　〃We've　been　recalled。　That　was　the　Lady。　She　seemed　disturbed。　The　first　leg　goes　to　Frost。　One　of　the　Taken　will　meet　us　there。　He'll　take　us　on　to　the　Barrowland。〃　The　others　frowned；　exchanged　puzzled　looks。　
　　I　muttered；　〃Shit。　Holy　Shit。〃
　　〃What　is　it；　Croaker？〃　the　Captain　asked。
　　They　didn't　know。　They　paid　no　attention　to　historical　things。　〃That's　where　the　Dominator　is　buried。　Where　they　all　were　buried；　back　when。　It's　in　the　forest　north　of　Oar。〃　We'd　been　to　Oar　seven　years　ago。　It　was　not　a　friendly　city。
　　〃Oar！〃　the　Captain　yelled。　〃Oar！　That's　twenty…five　hundred　miles！〃
　　〃Add　another　hundred　or　two　to　the　Barrowland。〃
　　He　stared　at　the　maps。　〃Great。　Just　great。　That　means　not　just　the　Plain　of　Fear　but　the　Empty　Hills　and　the　Windy　Country　too。　Just　fandamntastic　great。　I　suppose　we've　got　to　get　there　next　week？〃
　　Goblin　shook　his　head。　〃She　didn't　seem　rushed；　Captain。　Just　upset　and　wanting　us　headed　the　right　way。〃
　　〃She　give　you　any　whys　or　wherefores？〃
　　Goblin　smirked。　Did　the　Lady　ever？　Hell；　no。
　　〃Just　like　that；〃　the　Captain　muttered。　〃Out　of　the　blue。　Orders　to　hike　halfway　around　the　world。　I　love　it。〃　He　told　the　Lieutenant　to　begin　preparations　for　movement。
　　It　was　bad　news；　mad　news；　insanity　squared；　but　not　as　bad　as　he　made　out。　He　had　been　preparing　since　receiving　the　courier　letter。　It　wasn't　that　hard　to　get　rolling。　The　trouble　was；　nobody　wanted　to　roll。
　　The　west　was　far　nicer　than　anything　we'd　known　out　here；　but　not　so　great　anybody　wanted　to　walk　that　far。
　　Surely　she　could　have　summoned　a　closer　unit？
　　We　are　the　victims　of　our　own　petence。　She　always　wants　us　where　the　going　threatens　to　bee　toughest。　She　knows　we　will　do　the　best　job。
　　Damn　and　double　damn。
　　
　　　Chapter　Eleven